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I have to say in this context that I am most definitely impressed with the Dalai Lama’s new book “The Universe in a Single Atom.” This was written by a “simple monk” who has more understanding (despite his admitted failings in mathematics) of the basic questions than many theologians or scientists. I may disagree with him in some parts of his arguments (especially in regard to some of his doubts about evolution), but I can not deny his basic openness and willingness to adapt his views as our understanding of the universe and life expands. I only wish there were more like him! Science and religion probably should function as separate Magisteria (as argued by Stephan J. Gould), but they can have points of contact as long as one does not try to consume the other. The Dalai Lama states that some claims of religion (he speaks for Buddhism specifically) may have to be abandoned because of some modern findings of empirical science. At the same time he feels that science should not dismiss religion as irreverent to human endeavor. Science has little to tell us about how to live and religion has little to tell us about the exact details of the structure and development of the universe.

This is simply speaking one of those rarities, a good book written by a “personality.” But what a remarkable personality! His understanding of the basic structure of philosophical and scientific arguments is astounding for a person who lived the early years of their life mostly in the remote mountain country of Tibet. He articulates difficult concepts of space, time, physical law and biological science very well, while always prefacing his remarks with a humble phrase such as “As I understand it”. After a big dose of arid pronouncements by arrogant “personalities” in both Magisteria this is like a refreshing rain shower!

I recommend that anyone interested in the intersection between religion and science read this book. It is a major positive antidote for the “Conflict between Religion and Science” that seems to be the main media event of the day. Not everyone is an unreasoning self-seeker.

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Pros:

Very well written, great arguments, and very thorough.

The argumentative styling of this book is honest. The reason I choose that specific word is that its so easy to be biased and omit opposing arguments. This book is not written to convince anyone of anything, its merely presents what we know to be ‘most likely truths’ as well as counter points from different schools of thought and lets the reader make the conclusions. Its not a ‘socratic method’ of answering a question with a question as much as its a great teachers way of helping you to explore yourself.

This book covers most if not all the bases of modern science and relates it the core teachings of buddhist philosophy. For those that misconstrue buddhism to be a ‘hippie religion,’ this book should put that view to rest.

Cons:

-Although the aim is to have a mass amount of people read this book, I am quite certain that an average ‘layperson’ will drop this book in confusion after about 1 page.

-For those of us that have studied genetics, theories on evolution, physics, einstein’s theories of relativity, quantum mechanics, mahayana buddhism, or any theory on consciousness, this book serves as an AMAZING ‘tie in’ to all these in depth subjects. HOWEVER, for a person that has never really studied any of these topics this book will probably confuse them beyond belief.

Summary: Very well rounded and thorough. Amazingly well written with a high dialect. Filled with fantasic insight and wonderful ‘middle ground’ for a religion that emphasises the ‘middle way.’ Its almost poetic justice in that sense.

However this book is not an ‘intro’ book. This is a book you read AFTER you have an understanding of basic genetics, quantum mechanics, and buddhism.

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For over thirty years, the Dalai Lama has been at the forefront of efforts to find a rapprochement between the insights of Buddhism and the discoveries made using the scientific method. His journey has led him to have detailed discussion with some of the finest minds: the late David Bohm, John Eccles and Karl Popper to name just three. This is without doubt the clearest and most accessible of the Dalai Lama’s books examining the relationship between contemporary Buddhist thought and Western science.

There are many gems in here, but there are one or two of particular importance. I still hear people translate the term “Karma,” as “Fate,” or as a law of causality. The author makes it clear that karma means “action,” and he clearly differentiates it as the mechanism by which an intentional act will reap certain specific consequences. Karma refers to the intentional acts of sentient beings.

The book is full of such insights. It is an easy read and is both an overview of a number of critical areas in current scientific research and a spiritual interpretation and synthesis. This is not just a book for Buddhists, but for anyone interested in the broader issues of life and the Universe.

Highly recommended.

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On the plus side, it is obvious that the Dalai Lama is not approaching this topic with an agenda. His genuine humility, sincerity and openness comes through on nearly every page. It is also clear that he is not entrenched in particular religious ideas and openly states that he is willing to abandon them if empirical science proves them “untenable.” It is also evident that the Dalai Lama has respect for science, the scientific method and a natural curiosity in this area. He has also more than casually acquainted with numerous famous scientists and has enough scientific background to speak on a variety of intersections between Buddhism and science.

The scope of this book is very broad and touches on many important and relevant questions about the nature of reality, the beginning of the universe, quantum physics, evolution and consciousness. It also addresses ethical issues especially as they relate to genetic research.

For the average layperson, this is an extremely accessible book that does not make a lot of assumptions about Buddhism or scientific knowledge. This is both a strength and a weakness. For people who don’t know much about either, it is a great introduction to all of the areas above. For those with more of a background in Buddhism and especially science, it may be a somewhat elementary although thought provoking with respect to the parallels between fundamental ideas in Buddhism and science.

The Dalai Lama offers many good insights on the parallels between emptiness and quantum physics. He makes a good case that Buddhism’s notion of emptiness and dependent origination agree with the findings of modern physicists and also goes out of his way to mention other possibilitiess posited by a number of other scientists.

In his origin of the universe discussion, he presents a variety of religious perspectives on creation myths including the dominant ones in Tibetan Buddhism. He is very quick to point out that these obviously need to be revised, but provides insight into deeper layers of meaning within these models. However, it is clear that he is not trying to defend them or find an interpretation that will save them in the face of contradictory facts. This was quite impressive to me and his openness even surprised me.

I agree quite a bit with both a Buddhist perspective on reality, consciousness and methodological approach. As a psychology professional, I feel that Buddhism has much to offer on our exploration of consciousness and quite a bit of pages of this book is dedicated to this area. The Buddhists have in a real sense been performing phenomenological reasearch in this area for over two thousand years and I believe they have many useful insights. The Dalai Lama shares the most important of these insights in a simple and easy to understand manner.

Basically everything in this book can be related back to real life as it is lived in the world. There is a strong emphasis on the interconnectedness of everything and the necessity for compassion and a responsible approach to how we use technology and make ethical decisions with respect to the use of technology and areas of inquiry within science.

I rated this book a 4 overall because it not as comprehensive as I would like to see for more advanced readers. A bit more complexity would have been better for even a lay audience. However, people looking for a provocative, fairly simple read might rate it a 5+. It depends upon what you are looking to get out of it.

I am a great admirer of the Dalai Lama for a variety of reasons and I think this book is worth reading just to familiarize yourself with his thinking and general approach to these types of questions. This is truly an inspirational book offered at a bargain price. You can be comfortable reading it whatever your level of expertise and I believe even seasoned scientists will get some important insights from a thoughtful reading of the ideas presented here as viewed through the lens of Tibetan Buddhism.

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–The Dalai Lama has been interested in science since childhood, and has collaborated with some of the best minds in science and psychology for many years. This book gives some perspectives on that collaboration. The author discusses evolution and consciousness, “karma” and causality, how we may improve reliability in knowledge, how we can manage unprovable concepts we believe to be true, how a refined Awareness can be used to help understand our mind and consciousness, a Buddhist perspective on genetic engineering, and above all else, the benefits of combining Wisdom and Compassion. The author notes that scientists, too, can and should add wisdom and compassion to their knowledge, and suggests they not just let their discoveries be managed by political leaders, lawyers, bureaucrats, financiers, or the media (gulp!). The author also warmly introduces us to his educational background and gives marvelous insights into classical Buddhist and Hindu views of issues that still intrigue Western philosophers and scientists. He also discusses why we may encounter a “dual nature” of truth — for instance, we are innately comfortable with a classical explanation for everyday events even when we know that we encounter a profoundly non-classical reality at the atomic or psychological level. This book makes a superb addition to all the wonderful books on quantum science, cognitive science, and cosmology.

–In my opinion, BY FAR THE MOST VALUABLE GIFT OF THIS BOOK is the irreplaceably valuable perspective of a credibly Wise Human Being. One significant difference between valid science and spirituality is that science focuses on Knowledge while the spiritual approach seeks Wisdom (which includes compassion and ethics). Both should use integrity to seek truth. Because this latter goal is shared, many scientists (including atheists) respect one such as the Dalai Lama and have been more than eager to share their insights with him (I attended a recent medical conference and more than one leading scientist said that amidst all their years of honor and success in highly competitive and intellectually demanding fields, the chance to discuss their views with the Dalai Lama was the high point of their lives). The Dalai Lama does not have a technical degree, he may not have published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, and his knowledge of mathematics is not great, but he provides an irreplaceably valuable perspecitve — a credibly wise, humble, and compassionate human being who embraces, understands, and appreciates scientific knowledge. It’s not always an easy read, sometimes you have to suspend your judgment for a few pages, and you won’t agree with everything but it’s a remarkable book.

–Those interested in spirituality should also find an appreciation of scientific knowledge will enrich their practices and their understanding. For instance, the author gives the best short technical description I have ever read of the Buddhist concept of Shunyata, often unsatisfactorily translated as Emptiness. Shunyata suggests that nothing has a detectable absolutely independent or unqualified existence, so instead of “things” or “ideas,” we experience causally-connected interrelationships between essentially transient events. Giving an entity some artificially conceptual permanence is often useful, but is often done at our peril — we cannot “possess” something we “desire” any more than we can “possess” a cloud or a fogbank (conceptually realizing this may be easy but integrating it into our lives is difficult). So Buddhist awareness, in addition to being a source of profound spiritual insight, can also add a valuable and cogent perspective to our understanding of Reality.

–I hope this review helps you and that you consider looking into this wonderful book.